Guinness World Records announces Salustiano Sanchez as new Oldest living man

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﻿GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™, the global authority on record breaking achievements, announces 112-year-old Salustiano Sanchez Blazquez from Grand Island, New York, as the new world’s Oldest living man.

The record is announced on the heels of the recent passing of Japanese 116-year-old Jiroemon Kimura, who was recognized as the Oldest man ever and died on June 12 th, 2013.

Currently,115-year-old female, Misao Okawa of Japan, is considered by Guinness World Records to be the world's Oldest living person overall.

Robert Young, Senior Gerontology Consultant with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS confirmed that 90% of all supercentenarians are female and Salustiano is currently the only male born in 1901 with proof of birth. Census reports, immigration papers, marriage records and news reports were all processed as evidence to confirm the new record.

Salustiano was born June 8, 1901 in the village of El Tejado de Bejar within the province of Salamanca, Spain. He was revered growing up for his “dulzania” musical prowess (a dulzania is a Spanish double reed instrument in the family of the oboe). He earned pocket money by playing at village celebrations and weddings. Salustiano attended school up until the age of ten and considers himself self-taught.

At the age of seventeen, Salustiano along with his older brother Pedro and a small group of friends ventured to Cuba to pursue work, eventually getting jobs working the sugar cane fields. From Cuba, Salustiano traveled on to the United States through Ellis Island in August of 1920, ultimately working in the booming coal mines of Lynch, Kentucky.

Eventually Salustiano moved to the Niagara Falls area of New York where he currently resides. In 1934, he married the love of his life, Pearl. His children include a 76-year-old son, John, and 69-year-old daughter Irene. His extended family includes seven grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.

With the onslaught of attention he’s bound to receive, he remains humble about his newly appointed world record status commentating that he “does not feel he has accomplished anything special because he happens to be living longer than other men.” Yet, his family and friends think otherwise.

His hobbies over the years included gardening, cross word puzzles and nightly gin rummy games with friends. Salustiano credits his longevity to consuming one banana per day and his daily Anacin.

The greatest fully authenticated age to which any human has ever lived is 122 years, 164 days by Jeanne Louise Calment of France.

Make sure to continue visiting www.GuinnessWorldRecords.com for more coverage of Salustiano's new record this week, and to visit GWR at Facebook.com/guinnessworldrecords and Twitter @GWR for the latest record-breaking updates.